四五快读 Methods

[hippobb]

Thanks Laughingcat and Wan for the info.

[zoolet]

Thank you parents for sharing the info on the books. I got the full sets including the story at the book fest. I’m now coaching my DS on the first book.

[doodbug]

oh dear I am a little late at this My son is starting P1 next year, and my daughter, K2 next year. Is it too late to start the 四五快读?

[phtthp]

hire a Chinese tutor go your house personally teach your 2 children (if you’re busy at work) - still can catch up, better than don’t do anything at all. Yes! that’s what some parents are doing, hire Chinese tutor go their house just to teach Si Wu Kwai Du series.


since your girl already K2 - can start from book 2 onwards.
book 1 quite simple i believe her kindergarten had already taught her many Chinese characters. By now at K2, she should be able to recognise many words inside book 1. If her progress is good, very fast you’ll see her moving onto book 3. if she can finish up to book 3 or book 4, she is more than prepared for P1 Chinese. The rest book 5 to 7 can take her time to complete.

but book 8 is a wonderful storybook containing many interesting short simple stories, often revolving around cute animals & telling a useful, moral character behind. You can start book 8 now (no need to wait & don’t delay), because you’re the one reading aloud to her first. This book 8, best if you can help her along, read aloud to her. You read one time first, after that ask her to read next. Circle out those words she got difficulty in - transfer to a jotter book, with big squares (costs around 40 cents or 50 cents per jotter book). Yes! Practise reading everyday without fail. Ask her also to practise reading out those characters from the jotter book you copy out. Constant practice everyday builds up her confidence in Chinese.

all these 8 books were on sale at Popular bookfair that ended last Sunday, at the Chinese section, Zhong Wen Bu. i saw one great mountain pile of Si Wu Kwai Du. If you wish to buy, may call up Popular, see which branch still have copies.

[doodbug]

Hi phttp,


Thanks so much for your elabourate reply. We are a 'potato' family, and this is rather ironic considering I was previously from a SAP School, went to Hwa Chong, and got the A1s. However, I am neither proficient nor conversant in Chinese.

My kids have been attending Berries, but that is all the Chinese exposure they have had. We do not do anything extra at home. So yes, they are weaker at this.

I purchased the 四五快读 2 years back but found the books too difficult then and put them in cold storage. Now that my son is entering P1, panic buttons have struck and I will have to revive them. I hope it isn't too late! I won't even know where to start to hire a tutor that teaches 四五快读. If there are recommendations of tutors who are based in or will travel to the West (Clementi), please let me know!!

Thanks so so much! This is a wonderful forum

[Wan]

I just got hold of 故事集。asked my K2 son (next yr P1) to read a paragraph each day during sch hols. I think it works better for him than previous books which we were stuck at book 3. I think stories engage him more than those sentences bcos he’s conversational in mandarin but needs to work on word recognition.


Starting my 4yo on Bk 1. I think it works better for younger children or mb dep on each child.

[phtthp]

hi doodbug,


Berries once one week not enough. best is let your child practise reading very simple funny, cute short Chinese passage everyday, not just rely on miserable once a week enrichment from Berries. Then for the rest of the remaining 4 days in a week, how much Chinese are they both exposed to ? do you communicate in Mandarin at home ?

if you follow Si Wu Kwai Du series closely & if child can reach up to book 3 / 4, able to read independently, the contents inside Si Wu Kwai Du far surpass that of Berries K2 and P1 level. you don’t need to worry when your child go P1, even to a SAP school.

around your Clementi area - there’ll be at least one RC (residential committee) block, where on weekend (Sat) usually got China teacher borrow RC premises to teach Chinese to K2 to lower primary students Chinese. You may visit this RC block, knock on the door and ask casually if she’s willing to come yr house teach yr 2 kids, ask her how much ? Yes, from her accent you can tell rightaway if she’s from China or local. better hire a tutor who can speak perfect Chinese accent.

if you don’t know where to find this RC block, can call up Clementi community centre to direct you. CC will know where’re those RC blocks. there might be more than 1 RC block, bec Clementi town quite big.

alternately, you may approach or call up reliable tuition centre nearby yr hse, see if any Chinese tutor willing come yr house teach yr 2 kids concurrently at reasonable rates. Outsource to professional. Just state yr objective clearly - teaching material you provide (since you already purchased 2 yrs ago), just need her to coach & guide yr children to be able to read well from Si wu kwai du - target minimum up to book 4 quickly, asap. $ spent can be earned back, but time & tide is not going to wait for you.

another way is ask your neighbour upstairs / downstairs your same block or opposite condo (those with kids in P1 to P3) if anyone can recommend any good Chinese tutor. Those with school going kids can give you the answer.

[ddtan]

HI,


My gal is going primary 1 next year. Is she still suitable to read 四五快读 ?

I have not expose her to these books before. She is only attending the K2 Chinese Prep classes from ZhengFei now.

Can someone advise ? Thanks.

[doodbug]

Dear phtthp,


Thanks so much for your suggestions. My kids certainly have no other exposure to Chinese apart from Berries, which is insufficient. I will lurk around the RCs to see if anyone is teaching Chinese. Are many Chinese tutors familiar with the 四五快读 methods? I can't explain it to them if they ask me what it is, HAHAHAHA.

You are so right that $$$ can be earned back, but you can't take the time back fro your kids. I didn't realize we were so behind in this whole academic preparation thing Soon discovering it. I don't blame this forum; am in fact very appreciative. Provides alot of guidance on how and what needs to be done. Afterall we all hope for our kids to adjust to and take well to primary school, and not being able to cope is one sure way to dislike school!

[Musings]

ddtan:

HI,


My gal is going primary 1 next year. Is she still suitable to read 四五快读 ?

I have not expose her to these books before. She is only attending the K2 Chinese Prep classes from ZhengFei now.

Can someone advise ? Thanks.

I certainly don't think it is too late. The standard of the 四五快读 are higher than the P1 standard.

My son also going to P1 next year. I'm amazed how quickly his Chinese improved when we diligently used these books everyday from March this year. We have just completed Book 6. I also got a tutor to come in twice a week for 1.5 hours to coach him as well - she teach from 四五快读, reads other story books with him and also teach Hanyu Pinyin.

In March, the tutor said he wasn't ready for P1 - now she tells me my son is reading at P2-P3 standard already. 四五快读 provides the foundation for word recognition - once the child can recognise a minimum number of words, they can read simple Chinese books and they will progress very fast from there.

If the parent knows Chinese and can spend time everyday reading from 四五快读 with the child, it will be more effective than any Chinese enrichment, prep class.